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A-Z listing

Advertising & marketing

We use advertising and marketing as a way to engage with consumers on issues that matter to them. Marketing and advertising have many benefits. They help us tell people about our latest innovations, inform consumers about what’s in our products and recommend how they should be used. They can even help us change society for the better: Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty, for example, challenges stereotypes about the way people look.

However, the very power of marketing communications means that they must be used responsibly. We have signed up to, and helped to define, global standards for the industry, centred on the promise that our advertising and marketing will always be “legal, decent, honest and truthful”. Independently, we have also made landmark decisions about our own practices. For example, we do not target children under six years old and we never use ‘size zero’ models in our advertising.

We believe society should promote sustainable renewable energy that protects food supplies, rather than that which may erode them.

The production of ‘first generation’ biofuels, made from crops or animal by-products, is rising as government policy stimulates alternatives to fossil fuels. As crops are increasingly used for biofuels rather than food, food supplies could be jeopardised, prices rise and biodiversity suffer. What’s more, biofuels made from vegetable oils can actually create more greenhouse gases than fossil fuels.

With 34% of Unilever’s energy coming from renewable sources, we support the move to more sustainable biofuels. But we believe society must work at developing sustainable alternatives for renewable energy production including ‘second generation’ biofuels made from materials such as wood, straw and waste, which do not erode food stocks. Switching to electric cars is another beneficial option. Governments, meanwhile, need to consider the all-round impact of their renewable energy policies.

We are working with bioplastics suppliers to find sustainable forms of packaging that do not threaten food stocks.

Bioplastics are plant-based plastics made largely from staple food stocks, such as sugar beet and corn starch. We are concerned that the rising demand for bioplastics could lead to food scarcity or higher prices. Reducing, reusing and recycling packaging waste, including plastics, is one of the key Unilever Sustainable Living Plan priorities.

We believe bioplastics should have a comparable or better impact on the environment than petroleum-based plastic, and should not compromise recycling processes by contaminating traditional materials. We are working with the bioplastics industry to explore new technologies and materials that are sustainably sourced and which reflect social, economic and environmental factors. We are also on the steering team of the World Wildlife Fund-led Bio Feedstock Alliance, which encourages the sustainable development of bioplastics.

Biotechnology can be described as the application of biological systems to develop ingredients and products. We believes that biotechnology offers important opportunities to help us meet our Unilever Sustainable Living Plan commitments both in sustainable sourcing of ingredients and the development of innovative products which offer benefits to our consumers. We have been safely using biotechnology in our Homecare business for decades and more recently started using algal oil in our Personal Care soap bars.

Our approach to biotechnology reflects the way we use science and innovation responsibly to drive sustainable living. Here we outline our position on Biotechnology with respect to production of new ingredients and products in a contained and controlled process through fermentation. Our position on the use of GMOs and genetically modified crops can be accessed separately.

We aim to not use conflict minerals from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and adjoining countries that have been mined in support of armed conflict in any products. Our suppliers may continue to source minerals from this region so long as they are sourced from mines or smelters that are verified as conflict-free. We are committed to conducting ongoing due diligence and setting clear expectations from our suppliers.

Under certain US and EU regulations, companies are required to report whether they import conflict minerals or if their products contain conflict minerals, such as tin or gold, from the Democratic Republic of the Congo or its adjoining countries.

We buy raw materials from thousands of sources to supply Unilever factories based in more than 100 countries. We have conducted in-depth reviews of our suppliers and their supply chain; the results of our review are disclosed in our Specialized Disclosure (SD) Form, filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Our Responsible Sourcing Policy also covers the use of conflict minerals from this region.

We do not test our products on animals and are committed to ending animal testing wherever we operate. We use a wide range of non-animal approaches to assess the safety of our products for consumers and have complied with the EU animal testing bans for cosmetics since 2004. We support calls for similar bans to be introduced globally.

Our leading-edge research has one clear purpose: to continue to develop new non-animal approaches that can guarantee that our products are safe, without any need for animal testing.

We’re proud that People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) lists Unilever as a ‘company working for regulatory change’ in recognition of our ongoing work on alternatives to animal testing and our commitment to promoting their adoption worldwide.

As part of our commitment to tackling climate change, we are working to help end deforestation.

Deforestation is a major contributor to climate change, accounting for up to 15% of global greenhouse gas emissions. More than half of the world’s deforestation arises from land clearance for growing just four raw materials: palm oil, soy, beef, and paper and pulp. As buyers of nearly 3% of the world’s palm oil and 1% of its soy, we have a significant role to play, but we cannot end deforestation alone.

In 2014 we announced that deforestation would become one of our three priorities for transformational change and, as part of our Unilever Sustainable Living Plan, committed to work with our supply chain, the wider industry, governments and civil society to drive deforestation out of commodity supply chains and to implement solutions at scale.

We take animal welfare very seriously and have the ambition to purchase all our animal-derived ingredients from sustainable sources by 2020.

A number of our products include ingredients from animals, such as the eggs in mayonnaise, dairy products in ice cream and meat in bouillons and soups. Farm animal welfare is one of Unilever’s core sustainable agriculture indicators and is part of our Sustainable Agriculture Code (SAC).

We believe good farm animal welfare schemes include issues such as housing and stocking density, hygiene, feeding and feed, water supply, health management and the responsible use of antibiotics, the avoidance of mutilations, transport, traceability and slaughtering methods. We require our suppliers to comply with legal requirements and we help them to improve their performance in order to meet our SAC standards. Unilever will report on a regular basis about the standards used for our animal-derived ingredients and the progress made.

We support responsible use of science and technology in agriculture as it may help meet long-term food needs more sustainably.

Genetically modified (GM) crops are widely used by farmers in many countries. There is a broad scientific consensus that currently marketed GM crops and food ingredients produced from them are safe for people and the environment. However, GM crops and GMOs (genetically modified organisms) prompt lively debate and views differ from country to country.

Our commitment to safety, quality and sustainable agriculture covers all our food ingredients, whether from conventional crops or GM crops authorised by regulatory bodies. Where feasible we offer products that meet the preference for foods that do not use ingredients from GM crops. We also support the provision of information to consumers who want to know about the use of ingredients produced from GM crops.

The human body contains trillions of micro-organisms. They are present all over the body including on the skin and in the digestive system. The collection of these organisms is called the microbiome and it is unique to each of us.

The microbiome is an exciting area of scientific discovery and understanding. A balanced microbiome containing a diversity of organisms helps to maintain health and is essential for human development, immunity, health and wellbeing. Each of our individual microbiomes adapts throughout our lifetime and people can achieve a healthy microbiome in different ways.

We are committed to ensuring that human rights are respected, upheld and advanced across our operations and value chain, wherever we do business.

We respect all internationally recognised human rights that are relevant to our operations. We prohibit discrimination, forced, trafficked and child labour. We are committed to safe and healthy working conditions, the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining, and to effective information and consultation procedures. We expect our partners to adhere to business principles consistent with our own. We recognise the importance of dialogue with employees, workers and external stakeholders who are, or could potentially be, affected by our actions.

We continue to build our employees’ and workers’ awareness and knowledge of human rights, encouraging them to speak up, without retribution, about any concerns they may have, including through our grievance channels. We continually evaluate and review how best to strengthen our approach to addressing human rights.

Unilever has been growing tea in Kenya since 1924. The estate in Kericho covers over 8,700 hectares and is Rainforest Alliance certified. Unilever offers many benefits including housing, free health care, nursery and primary school education, clean potable drinking water and free meals during working hours. As with any society where work and private lives are tightly intertwined, there are particular challenges that we are working hard to address.

In 2013 allegations of sexual harassment of female workers were investigated and an independent review made six recommendations, which were fully accepted and implemented immediately.

Progress is monitored monthly by our Leadership Team and has focused on prevention through increased education and awareness whilst improving grievance and reporting procedures.

In 2001, after becoming aware of an environmental breach at our former factory in Kodaikanal, we took swift action.

Glass scrap with residual mercury was sold to a local scrap dealer, in breach of guidelines. We immediately closed the factory and retrieved glass scrap with residual mercury and soil from the scrap yard.

In 2003, we sent all mercury-bearing material to the US for recycling. In 2006, plant, machinery and materials used in thermometer manufacturing were decontaminated and disposed of to industrial recyclers. An independent environmental impact and risk assessment commissioned by us concluded that there was no adverse impact on the environment in Kodaikanal, except in some areas of the factory premises.

Several expert studies have been conducted since the factory’s closure and all have concluded that our former employees did not suffer ill-health due to the nature of their work. In 2016 we reached a settlement with our former workers on a humanitarian basis at the suggestion of the Madras High Court – putting an end to a matter which had been outstanding since a petition was filed in 2006.

To help protect the oceans from micro-plastics, we don’t use plastic scrub beads in Unilever products.

Micro-plastics are tiny pieces of plastic which can end up in the seas, causing potential damage to the environment. Most come from the breakdown of larger plastics in the ocean but some can come from their use in consumer and industrial products.

An example of one possible source is the use of plastic scrub beads as an exfoliating material in some face and body scrub washes. We formerly used plastic scrub beads in some of our exfoliating products but realised we could make products that work just as well without using them. So, in 2014, we stopped using plastic scrub beads in these products.

We now use alternative exfoliating ingredients, such as apricot kernels, cornmeal, ground pumice, silica and walnut shells giving consumers confidence that using a Unilever face or body wash is not contributing to the accumulation of micro-plastics in the world’s oceans.

To reach our goal of using only sustainably grown raw materials, we minimise use of pesticides.

Our priority is to provide safe products that meet consumer preferences. Pesticides can help defend against harmful insects, weeds and diseases but we recognise concerns about their potential effects. In line with our Sustainable Agriculture Code, we limit the use of pesticides via integrated pest management (IPM). IPM uses a range of different ways to control pests, including mechanical, physical, biological and cultural methods.

We also work with independent certification agencies for sustainable agricultural practices, such as the Rainforest Alliance, Fair Trade and the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil. These always require curbs on pesticides. We also monitor pesticide residues in the raw materials we buy and work with suppliers to ensure they meet regulations. For more details about how we use pesticides when growing tea and tomatoes, see:

We are leaders in ‘nutrient profiling’ – that is, evaluating the nutritional content of food and drink.

Understanding the nutrient levels in our products is vital for our business. Consumers rely on pack labels to help them make healthy choices and we need to know nutrient levels to assist with product reformulation and for marketing and advertising our products. There is no global standard for agreeing nutrient profiles. Different schemes are being set up around the world.

In 2003, we developed our own global principles on nutrient profiling – aiming to make sure that what we do is based on sound science. As part of these principles, we seek to reflect international guidelines, while taking into account how people eat around the world. We aim to encourage innovation and food reformulation but focus on the key nutrients of concern in our products such as sugar, salt, and saturated and trans fats.

Providing clear nutrition labelling is vital in the fight against obesity and other dietary-related chronic diseases. That is why we have developed a clear and global approach to nutrition labelling and we are transparent about the nutritional composition of our products, enabling consumers to make better informed choices about the food they eat.

As part of the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan, Unilever is committed to providing details about the ‘Big 8’ nutrients (energy, protein, carbohydrates, sugars, fat, saturated fat, fibre, sodium or salt, and nutrients for which a claim is made) on the back of most packs – along with an energy icon on the front. Our products in Europe and the US carry full nutritional information and we are committed to extend this to all our products globally. In many countries, our labelling exceeds legal requirements. We also publish nutritional details via websites and consumer care lines.

Packaging helps keep products fresh and safe but when it ends up in landfill, it is a lost resource and can create environmental challenges. That’s why we’ve set targets to reduce the environmental impact of our packaging, as part of the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan. We aim to reduce the weight of packaging, make it more recyclable, and use more recycled materials.

In some countries, we may support ‘extended producer responsibility’ (EPR) schemes, where we share packaging waste management costs. That said, we think there’s no ‘one size fits all’ model. In other countries, we support efforts to promote recycling. In the emerging markets, where we now sell half our products, some people make a living collecting waste from rubbish dumps. We support schemes that help these workers become part of a safe, formal recycling system.

We are leading efforts to transform the palm oil industry – helping to eliminate deforestation and fight climate change.

As one of the world’s largest buyers of palm oil our scale is both a challenge and an opportunity. We use the ingredient in products such as ice cream, soap and shampoo. Palm oil production is historically linked with tropical deforestation so we work hard to transform the industry in a way that allows palm oil production to continue while protecting the forests and the livelihoods of those who depend on its production.

That’s why we believe governments, NGOs and business must work together to ensure the palm oil industry finds the right balance between economic, social and environmental objectives, and why we have helped lead efforts to change the way the industry works. We will continue to work with our stakeholders to eliminate deforestation, protect peat lands, and drive positive impacts for people and local communities.

Our products are designed and manufactured to be safe for their intended use.

Unilever’s Code of Business Principles sets out our commitment to provide products and services that are safe and to innovate based on sound science. We have mandatory policies and standards in place to ensure that we meet this commitment. Safety and quality are an important and integral part of our product design.

Our Safety and Environmental Assurance Centre works with teams across Unilever to assess the safety and environmental sustainability of our products and manufacturing processes. We use internationally recognised external certification standards across our entire supply chain to ensure our management and control processes are robust. We monitor and track consumer and customer feedback to proactively address potential product quality or safety issues. Such instances are investigated fully to establish the root cause, with learnings shared globally to prevent recurrence.

We never use embryonic stem cells and all our stem cell research meets the highest ethical and regulatory standards.

Stem cells are indefinitely self-renewing and able to differentiate into many different types of cells. Stem cell technology has the potential to offer treatments for conditions such as leukaemia and tissue damage, as well as offering health and beauty benefits. Stem cells are also important research tools used to model aspects of human biology.

We want to develop personal care products that bring real health and beauty benefits to our consumers, and work in partnership with leading scientific experts to investigate the potential applications of stem cell technology. We support research with adult human stem cells and plant stem cells only, never stem cells taken from embryos. All our research is conducted responsibly, and in full compliance with the highest safety, ethical, legal and regulatory standards.

To help people eat healthily, we are significantly reducing the amount of salt in our products.

A diet containing excess salt (sodium) can lead to raised blood pressure, increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke. The World Health Organization recommends adults limit their daily salt intake to 5g. We believe we have a responsibility to offer healthy eating choices, and by the end of 2010 had met our target of decreasing salt levels to enable daily intakes of 6g.

As part of the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan, we are cutting levels still further, by enhancing taste with other, healthier ingredients such as herbs and spices, and by using salt substitutes such as potassium salt. As a result, in 2017, 63% of our Foods portfolio already have salt levels that enable a daily intake of 5g. In the near future, we plan to reduce salt levels in even more of our products.

We are significantly reducing the amount of saturated fats in our products, and increasing the amount of healthy unsaturated fats.

Unsaturated fats, found in nuts, seeds, fish and vegetable oil-based spreads, are good for us, but too much saturated fat – found mostly in dairy and meat products – is a risk factor for heart disease. We believe we have a responsibility to offer healthy eating choices to our consumers.

As part of the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan, we are committed to reducing saturated fats as much as possible and increasing levels of good unsaturated fats, without compromising on taste and quality.

Robust and high-quality science is key to understanding how Unilever’s products can benefit consumers and make a positive impact on both society and the environment.

Investing in science with objectivity and integrity is important to build our knowledge and understanding of how food, nutrition, home and beauty & personal care products can benefit public health & well-being and improve the environmental, social and economic impact of our products.

The world of scientific research is collaborative and we increasingly work with external partners, often in multi-stakeholder partnerships. We are committed to transparency with our collaborations and research findings. Whether conducting research internally or externally, we always adhere to robust standards and hold our R&D leaders accountable for ensuring these are applied.

These science standards form a key foundation to Unilever’s approach to Responsible Innovation and are intrinsically linked to Unilever’s business values.

We’re cutting the level of sugar in many products, to help towards improving consumers’ health.

Many people enjoy the sweet taste that sugar brings. It also gives texture, structure, flavour and colour to many products, as well as helping to preserve them. However, health authorities recommend people limit their sugar consumption to reduce the risk of excessive energy intake, as this can lead to obesity, which is a risk factor for heart disease and diabetes.

The Unilever Sustainable Living Plan therefore includes firm sugar and calorie reduction targets in products ranging from our ready-to-drink teas to our ice creams. We focus on beverages and ice creams because that is where we can have the biggest impact and so make the greatest contribution to public health. Of course, our products need to meet consumers’ acceptance for sweetness. That’s why, in many products, we use approved low-calorie sweeteners to fully or partially replace sugar.

We believe sustainable farming is the best way forward to meet the world’s demand for food.

The global population is growing fast; so fast, in fact, that by 2030 as much as 50% more food will need to be produced. Yet climate change, water shortages and biofuel demands are all putting pressure on food resources. That’s why we’re working with our supply chain partners to promote sustainable farming.

As part of the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan, we aim to source all our agricultural materials sustainably, without increasing costs to the consumer. We are focusing first on our main crops, such as palm oil, tea, soy and sugar. We plan to put a stop to deforestation, to help fight climate change, which is damaging to farming communities. At the same time, we aim to champion smallholder farmers – to help produce enough food and lift people out of poverty.

As one of the world’s largest food producers, we are committed to playing a part in helping to tackle obesity.

More than 1.9 billion adults – 39% of the global population – are overweight and 13% are obese. This obesity epidemic must be addressed. There is no one solution but evidence shows that solutions need to be holistic and take a multi-stakeholder approach with governments, NGOs, civil society and business working together to deliver a robust programme of interventions at country level.

We have a multi-faceted approach based on: reformulating our products, by reducing levels of sugar and calories in certain products; providing clear nutrition labelling, so that consumers can make informed food choices; offering lower and zero calorie choices to consumers and encouraging them to eat and live healthily; responsible marketing for all ages but especially towards children, and encouraging the wider food industry to establish global best practice.

The tax we pay plays a key part in our wider economic impact and in developing the countries where we operate.

We are supportive of international tax reform and believe public trust in national tax systems is essential. We have published a set of global tax principles covering such issues as transfer pricing, use of tax havens and relationships with tax authorities that represent good corporate practice in the area of tax management and transparency. They also balance the interests of our various stakeholders, including consumers, investors and the governments and communities in the countries in which we operate.

Our commercial activity generates considerable tax income for the governments in countries in which we operate. In 2016, we paid €2.3 billion in corporation taxes. In addition, we pay and collect numerous other taxes, such as employee taxes, sales taxes, and customs duties.

To help promote heart health, we are removing trans fats from our products.

There are two kinds of trans fats: one type occurs naturally in butter, cheese and some meat, and the other is created during food production when vegetable oils are ‘partially hydrogenated’ to turn them into solid fats. Both kinds adversely affect blood cholesterol.

The World Health Organization says consumers should limit their levels of trans fats, and manufacturers should not use them in foods. We have been reducing our use of trans fats from partially hydrogenated vegetable oils (PHVO) for 20 years. In 2010, as part of the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan, we committed to stop using them. By September 2012, 100% of our Foods and Refreshment portfolio by volume did not contain trans fats originating from PHVO. We support health initiatives to reduce intake of trans fats.

Wipes offer a quick, effective and convenient cleaning solution for our consumers. There are lots of different types available - from face cleansing wipes to kitchen surface or bathroom cleaning wipes.